NATIONAL MUSETTM HITILDINGfl. 201 



urcd iil)t)ut ion by 50 feet, unci was located alono- B Street south, a 

 short distance to the east of the Museum buildiii*^-. Jt was also made 

 to serve for the temporary storage of the material brougdit back from 

 those exhibitions. Some small additions were made and a loft con- 

 structed. It remained in use imtil 1887. when it was torn down and 

 the materials of its construction were utilized elsewhere. During- 

 more or less of the period of its existence it furnished accommodations 

 to the taxidermists, and osteoloo-ists, and to other preparators, includ- 

 ing- those of the Bureau of Ethnolog}-. In it were also stored large 

 quantities of specimens, especially geological and ethnological. 



In 1887 two low sheds were ))uilt along the south side of and close 

 to the Smithsonian building, one on each side of the south tower, and 

 extending nearly the entire length of each facade. They were con- 

 structed largely of material from the ])uilding last al)ove mentioned, 

 and were both unsightly and dangerous in their proximity to the 

 Smithsonian building. The west shed was at tirst cut up into 

 seven workshops and storage compartments. The east shed was, for 

 a time, given over to living animals, but when these were I'emoved to 

 the Zoological Park it was used for the storage of easels and supplies. 

 Both sheds wen* more or less employed in the preparations for the 

 World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago. Their removal was 

 effected in 1898, under the provisions of an act of Congress giving 

 $2,500 for the purpose. The material derived from them was used 

 partly in building a shed at the Ninth street annex, referred to below, 

 and partly in the erection of the so-called south shed on the Mall 

 directly south of the south tower of the Smithsonian building. 



The National Zoological Park grew out of a small assemblage of 

 living animals gathered at the National Museum. The first part of 

 this collection was received from the West in 1887 and was installed 

 in one end of the eastern of the two sheds along the south side of the 

 Smithsonian. Additional specimens obtained in the early part of 

 1S88 madjc it necessary to utilizt* the entire building for this purpose. 

 Later in the year yards were constructed in the grounds south of the 

 Smithsonian building for ])uli'alo and deer, and several small buildings 

 were also erected. During 1S91 the li^■ing animals were transferred 

 to th(> park, and the inclosures and buildings which they had occupied 

 \v(ir(> all removed except the eastern shed and one small shed farther 

 out on the grounds which was modified into a paint shop. 



In the winter of l881>-90 the first of the frame buildings now con- 

 stituting the Astrophysical Observatory was erected south of the 

 eastern end of the Smithsonian })uilding. It was subsequently slightlv 

 enlarged, and thn^e other smaller structures were added in 1893 and 

 189S. The fence inclosing this cluster of buildings has recentlv been 

 enlarged to afford sonn* open-air space for experimental purposes, the 

 extent of the area now covered being about 170 by 78 feet. 



